NEW BLOG

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

The goal is to increase the communication between us, and also provide you with an opportunity to communicate with each other. If you post general questions about the assignments or the course, I will answer them. If you have detailed questions you want answered, then it’s probably better to e-mail your tutor.
Check in the Archives (see sidebar) for previous exercises and activities.IMPORTANT: This blog site is open to the public; do not post personal information that could identify you--your first name is the only personal information you should post.

Sunday, June 19th is Father’s Day--it’s another good excuse for a barbecue and family get-together in the summer. The history of this day is interesting; there was not as much public support for this day of recognition as there was for Mother’s Day.

If English is not your first language, consider taking Engl 149: Advanced Speaking and Listening Skills. The instructor, who specializes in accent reduction, works one-on-one with students to help them achieve your goal of sounding more “Canadian”. The result is also more confidence in both social and employment situation.

Welcome
In June, we welcome the following new students to the course: Ryan, Angela, and Rebecca. We hope you will enjoy the course and participate in this blog.

Previous Grammar Question

For instant; the way in which the correspondents course differ then classrooms , is that the equipments' costs are very expensive for students are ought to have computer, internet, and another modern up to date things.

1. Word form: The correct expression when providing an example is “for instance”.

2. Comparison: The items being compared need to be clear and comparable; it is courses that are being compared; you cannot compare a course and a classroom. The wording needs to make this clear.

3. Word form: “Correspondents” is a plural noun--a noun cannot modify another noun such as “course”; the adjective form needed is “correspondence”.

4. Number: Should it be “course” or “courses”? It doesn’t matter, but there are agreement issues that occur: “a correspondence course/a classroom course” or “correspondence courses/classroom courses”.

5. Word confusion: Many students confuse “then”--what happened next--with “than” a word used to make comparisons. They sound similar when we speak;-) However, here, the word “from” is needed “differ from”/”different than”.

6. Word form: “equipments” modifies the noun “costs”--as an adjective the form should be “equipment” and it cannot be plural or possessive.

7. Verb-iness: There are too many verb words in the expression “are ought to have”; simplify--use “need”

8. Number error: There are several students, so there should be more than one “computer”.

9. Preposition: In this sentence “for” means “because”; it would be clearer to use “because”, “since”, or “as”.

11. Punctuation: A semicolon is used between independent clauses when there is no coordinating conjunction; for that reason, it should not be used after the phrase “for instance”. A comma is possible. Omit the comma before “is” as this separates the subject from its verb. Also omit the comma before “and” as the following structure is a phrase and not an independent clause. Finally, don’t forget to hyphenate compound adjectives such as “up-to-date”.

Possible Answer: For instance, the way in which correspondence courses differ from classroom courses is that equipment costs are very expensive since students need to have computers, internet, and other up-to-date things.

Change the words in the sentence below as indicated. You can only change the exact word in the sequence given; after someone else has posted the next change, then you can post another change. For instance, student 1 writes #1 Subject Noun, and changes the subject noun; Student 2 writes #2 Direct Object Noun, and changes that noun. Each student only makes one change at a time and keeps to the order indicated. If you complete all 7 changes, then start making more changes again from 1 to 7. Each student should build on the changes that the previous students make

The following question is similar to the one in part 3 of the Engl 140 final exam. There are many possible answers. Write a sentence using the vocabulary and grammar indicated.The students in the course + drive ( past perfect, passive voice) + go (simple past)

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Posting a Comment

How to post comments to the course blog There are 5 steps in the process: 1. Click on "comments"--it's a line at the bottom of each posting on the blog. 2. Type your answer in the "Leave Your Comment" box. 3. Complete the word verification process (type the squiggly letters you see in the box). 4. Choose an identity. Generally, unless you already have a Blogger ID, select "Name/URL" and then type your first name (we must be able to identify you to give you credit for your posts) into the box that appears. 5. Click on "publish your comment".

Online Resources

IDIOMS

If English is not your first language, then English idioms are probably difficult for you. The BBC has a site that provides interesting and crazy videos to explain a variety of idioms.

GRAMMAR GIRL!

For a humourous look at grammar and some of the stickier grammatical situations, check out Grammar Girl. There is a site called Quick and Dirty Tips, and there is also a series of podcasts available. A book on the same topic has just been published. For those of you who are on Facebook, you might like to become a fan of Grammar Girl.

ARE APOSTROPHES IMPORTANT?

There has been a debate in the media about the importance of apostrophes since Birmingham, a large city in England, banned apostrophes! What do you think? Read about the issues.

WHAT’S NEW IN PUNCTUATION?

Have you ever heard of the interrobang? It’s a symbol that is cross between a question mark and an exclamation mark. Check some background information about it, and listen to a CBC podcast that includes a discussion of this interesting punctuation mark. However, there is a word of warning--don’t use it in formal academic writing.

3. Enter your e-mail address and your password (English)—then you will see the My Wimba page.

4. Click on English 140—Introduction

5. Click on Introductory Message and then the forward arrow on the toolbar. You should then hear the message.

6. To reply, click on the Reply button and the forward button, and begin to record your message.

7. For more information about using WIMBA, please return to the WIMBA resource page and click on User Guide, Sound Tips, or Technical Help.

DEFINITIONS

Clause: A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb.Independent clause: A clause that can be used alone as a sentence and that does not need any other grammatical construction: e.g. He hit the ball over the fence.Dependent clause:A clause that cannot form a separate sentence; there must be an independent clause for it to modify: e.g. When Peter played baseball, he hit the ball over the fence.Phrase:A group of words used together to express an idea but without a subject and a verb: e.g. In the game yesterday, he hit the ball over the fence.

PUNCTUATION BASICS

1. When using an introductory phrase, remember to set it off with a comma.2. If you have an introductory dependent clause, set it off with a comma.3. Two independent clauses can be more difficult; use a semicolon to separate them if there is no coordinating conjunction, but use a comma if there is a one.